Materials scientists at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore have found a new use for a chemical compound that traditionally has been viewed as an electrical conductor. By orienting the compound in a different way, the researchers have transformed it into a thin film insulator, which blocks rather than enhances the flow of electricity while inducing large electric currents elsewhere. The material, called solution-deposited beta-alumina, could have applications in transistor technology and in devices such as electronic books. The discovery is described in Nature Materials. “This form of sodium beta-alumina has some very useful characteristics,” says Howard E. Katz, PhD, chair and professor of materials science and engineering, who supervised the Johns Hopkins team. “The material is produced in a liquid state, which means it can easily be deposited onto a surface in a precise pattern for the formation of printed circuits,” he explains. “But when it’s heated, it forms a solid, thin transparent film. In addition, it allows us to operate at low voltages, meaning it requires less power to induce useful current.” Thus, applications could operate with batteries instead of a wall outlet. The transparency and thinness of the material make it ideal for use in the increasingly popular e-book readers, which rely on see-through screens and portable power sources, Katz said. Potential transportation applications include instrument readouts that can be displayed in the windshield of an aircraft or a ground vehicle.
Source: Nanowerk